Outside the family was another element which kept women in a subordinate position and out of public debate: education (Hobby, 5). The extent to which women could read is not truly known, yet “the popularity of cookery books” and the desire of Protestant leaders for women to read the Bible suggests that many women could read (Hobby, 5). Nonetheless, it is widely accepted that a great many more men than women were able to read and even a greater number were able to write (Hobby, 5). For those women who were not nobility, educational opportunities were basically nonexistent. With men in charge, the education of women was controlled by them. Thus, the education women did receive was in regards to chastity and housewifery. Little is written specifically on the education of women during the Renaissance, but the things women were learning can be seen in the literature of the time. For example, in Gervase Markham's, The English Housewife, women are given instruction on everything from medicine to distillation to the dissection of a sucking pig in order to cook it. Women in both the country and the city would likely have used similar advice books on housewifery, but different women often specialized in different areas of housewifery. For example from John Skelton's The Tunnyng of Elynor Rummyng, Elynor specializes in the brewing of ale. While, women from Robert Herrick's, The Hock-Cart, occupied positions in the fields of the countryside, as previously described in the section on the family.

Although little is written about their formal education, literary works from the Renaissance hint at specific aspects of the female intellect. In John Skelton’s The Tunnyng of Elynor Rummyng, as mentioned above, Elynor had mastered the craft of ale making. This is indicated by the vast number of people who come to drink her ale and give so much in return for it:
“She breweth noppy ale,
And maketh thereof port sale
To travellars, to tynkers,
To sweters, to swynkers
And all good ale drinkers,
That wyll nothynge spare,
But drynke tyll they stare
And brynge themselves bare (lines 101-109).”

Furthermore, Elynour is actually conning people, as it is revealed that the main ingredient in her ale is actually hen feces:
“The hennes ron in the mashfat;
For they go to roust
Streyght over the ale joust,
And donge, whan it commes,
In the ale tunnes.
Than Elynour taketh
The mashe bolle and shaketh
The hennes donge awaye,
And skommeth it into a tray
Whereas the yeest is,
With her maungy fystis.
And somtyme she blennes
The donge of her hennes (lines 190-202).”
It seems deceitful, yet to make a living by selling ale made of hen feces required some amount of intellect on the part of Elynour.

Further intellect, in the form of deceit, can be found in Arden of Faversham, as Alice always seems to know just what to say to the man she wishes to con: first to her husband, Arden, and then to Greene:
Arden : “I must to London, sweet Alice, presently.
Alice : “But tell me, do you mean to stay there long?”
Arden : “No longer than till my affairs be done.”
Franklin : “He will not stay above a month at most.”
Alice : “A month? Ay me! Sweet Arden, come again within a day or two or else I die.”
Arden : “I cannot long be from thee, gentle Alice.” (Scene I, lines 80-87)

Alice : “Ah, Master Greene, be it spoken in secret here,
I never live good day with him alone.
When he is at home, then have I froward looks,
Hard words, and blows to mend the match withal (Scene I, lines 492-495).”
Greene: “Now trust me, Mistress Alice, it grieveth me
So fair a creature should be so abused.
Why, who would have thought the civil sir so sullen?
He looks so smoothly. Now, fie upon him, churl!
And if he live a day he lives too long (Scene I, lines 506-510).”